136 THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, 



ment of the laws of the State concerning the forest reserves; and all 

 officials, branches and departments of the State government shall, upon 

 request, render assistance as aforesaid, and furnish for the use of the 

 commission having charge of the State forest reserves all information, 

 records, documents, maps and papers within their power and control. 



Section 8. No land within the effect and operation of this act shall 

 be assessed or taxed so long as it is owned by the State; but whenever 

 any such land shall be disposed of under the provisions hereof, it shall 

 again become taxable and shall be assessed and taxed in the same man- 

 ner as other land owned by individuals. In lieu of taxes the State shall 

 annually pay upon all land held in the State forest reserves the sum 

 of ten cents per acre; the amount thereof for each township in which 

 State forest reserves are located, and the total amount for the whole 

 State, shall be computed and fixed by the Auditor General and be paid 

 only on his warrant in manner hereinafter prescribed. The Auditor Gen- 

 eral shall fix the amount as aforesaid on or before the 



day of in each year, and on his certificate to 



the State Treasurer this amount shall stand as an emergency 

 forest fire protection fund for the year following; and be avail- 

 able and used only in emergency and for payment of the necessary ex- 

 penses in excess of the ordinary appropriation available for fighting and 

 putting out fires on any forest, waste or brush lands: and one-half of 

 the unexpended balance of the said fund, shall on the expiration of the 

 year aforesaid be alloted by the Auditor General to the several town- 

 ships containing the land for which payment is made in lieu of taxes 

 as aforesaid, such allotment to be pro rata according to acreage in each 

 township. One-half of the amount so alloted to each township shall be 

 paid to the proper township ofiicer in payment or reimbursement for ex- 

 penditures or liabilities actually incurred by the township within the 

 preceding year in the building or improvemetit of roads and bridges, ad- 

 joining or passing through the fire districts aforesaid, or the building 

 or improvement of which the commission in charge of State forest re- 

 serves shall request or approve in advance of the work: and the other 

 one-half of the amount alloted to the township shall be paid to the 

 treasurer of the township for use in the said township for local purposes 

 as it may determine; prpvided, that no payment shall be made as afore- 

 said except on proper vouchers verified by a person having knowledge 

 of the facts, and by an officer or agent of the township having super- 

 vision of, or authority in, the particular work, and approved by the 

 township board and the said commission. The balance of the monies 

 payable by the State under this section shall, after expiration of the 

 year aforesaid, be available to meet the appropriations for forest fire 

 protection, any balance to go into the general fund. 



Section 9. All State lands within the operation of section one, ex- 

 cept the State forest reserves aforesaid, shall be subject to sale by the 

 Commissioner of the State Land Office at a price to be fixed by him, not 

 less than $5.00 per acre, and the value of all saleable timber, forest' and 

 wood products thereon. Such appraisal to be made at the expense of 

 the applicant in detail and under oath upon application being made to 

 purchase. The appraisal of all lands applied for and the timber thereon 

 shall be filed and kept open to inspection in the State Land Office. The 



